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Similar Fugu, Gadidae, Ponzu, Roe, Pacific cod | ||
Stripping milt sperm and eggs from butterfly koi breeders
Milt is the seminal fluid of fish, mollusks, and certain other water-dwelling animals who reproduce by spraying this fluid which contains the sperm, onto roe (fish eggs).
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Milt as food
Milt or soft roe also refers to the male genitalia of fish when they contain sperm, used as food. Many cultures eat milt, often fried, though not usually as a dish by itself.
In Russian cuisine, herring milt (молока, "Moloka") is pickled the same way as the rest of the fish, but eaten separately, sometimes combined with pickled herring roe. Various whitefish soft roes are usually consumed fried and it is an inexpensive everyday dish.
In Japanese cuisine, the milt (白子 shirako 'white children') of cod (tara), anglerfish (ankō), salmon (sake), squid (ika) and pufferfish (fugu) are a delicacy.
In Sicilian cuisine, the milt of tuna is called "Lattume" and is used as a typical pasta topping.
In Romanian cuisine, the milt of carp and other fresh water fish is called "Lapți" (from the Latin word "Lactes") and is usually fried.